I carried out the environmental quality survey for areas 1 to 8. This assessed the overall quality of the area in the different quality fields. I didn’t only take Portobello Road’s situation into consideration; I took into account the quality of the surrounding areas too. The environmental survey was carried out by putting circles around the data that was most representative of the area on a scale of 1 to 5, on whether I found the area pleasant, clean, dirty etc; From this I drew a table of the results that I got – refer to figures 3, 4 and 5 in the results section. I encountered no real problems when doing this as it was straight forward.
The data collected is shown below: -
Results:-
Environmental quality survey
Figure 3: Data for the environmental quality survey.
The table shows the scores given on a scale of 1 to 5 for the ‘Shopping environment’, ‘Quality of shopping’ and the ‘Environmental survey’, where 1 is the poorest quality and where 5 is the highest quality. When I did the survey, I did not only take Portobello Road into consideration; as explained earlier, I also observed the surrounding area too. The total quality of the sites is given out of 55 at the bottom of the table, indicated as ‘Grand total’. The eight columns are split into four to show that these sites are on the opposite sides of the street i.e. site 1 is next to site 2 etc. I have drawn a Choropleth map to help illustrate my data on the overall quality of the different areas (see fig. 4 on the following page). The data above is set out in rows for each heading. For example if you wanted to know a sites litter status, you would go the heading ‘Lots of litter’-‘No litter’. Then you would search along this row until you got to the desired site number; this number would be the areas litter status on a scale of 1 to 5. For example site 6 is listed as 4 on the scale for ‘litter’; this would mean that it is relatively clean. This would be done in exactly the same way for any other data required. From the results above I have constructed a bar graph for the ‘grand totals’- (see figure 5, two pages ahead)
Environmental Survey Map: Choropleth map
Figure 4: Below is a Choropleth map for the 8 sectors of Portobello road that I was investigating, along with surrounding areas.
I chose the scale to be from 0 – 55 as this is the largest and the smallest result possible to achieve. The lower the score, the poorer the overall quality of that sector would be on the map above – it is represented by the lighter colours; and, the darker the colour, the higher the score and quality would be.
Figure 5: Below is a bar graph to show the grand totals for the different sites.
The results above show the desirability of each site in Portobello Road in terms of its shopping environment, the quality of the shopping and the environmental quality. They show that site 6 is the most desirable, followed jointly by sites 3, 4, and 5. It also shows that site 8 is the least desirable.
Land use classification
The maps and keys on the following pages show the land use classification for the shops in Portobello Road in 1982 and 2002 (see Figures 6 and 7). I carried out a land use classification for the shops today but I got the results for the 1982 land use, as I wasn’t around at the time to have been able to collect the data. This makes the 2002 map a primary source and the 1982 map a secondary source.
On the 2002 map I have colour coded all the shops to make it easier to see the whereabouts of each shop. On the 1982 map, however, I have only coloured the shops that have changed and are no longer here today. I coloured all such shops orange so that the land use of the shops between the two time periods can be compared. It is possible to make quick references from the 1982 and 2002 map, to make comparisons on whether that shop type is still there today or not, or whether another shop has replaced it or not etc.
From the data on the maps and keys above I have drawn some tables to help me understand the changes that have taken place (see figures 8 and 9). These tables show the top five land uses in Portobello Road, i.e. which shop types are the most common, along with the rankings of the different shopping categories in 1982 and today (2002).
Figure 8: Data for 1982
Top five land uses Ranking of shop categories
Figure 9: Data for 2002
Top five land uses Ranking of shop categories
The top five ‘land use’ data for 1982 shows that the top five shops then, made up 59.3% of all the shops in the part of Portobello Road that I was investigating. The ranking of the shop categories show that ‘comparison shops’ is by far the single largest group, which makes up 53% of all the shops in this section of the road, followed by ‘convenience stores’ which make up 18% and so on.
The top five ‘land use’ data for 2002 show that the top five shops today make up 50.8% of all the shops in this area. A change is evident; the total percentage for the ‘top five land uses’ has decreased in the last 20 years. From this it is possible to say that there is a greater variation of shops in the different categories, which means that there are more shops in other fields, whereas the number in the ‘top five sector’ has decreased. This would mean that the standard deviation of shops in the different categories in lower today than it was 20 years ago. This will be expanded further in my conclusion – where I have calculated the standard deviations for the two sets of data. I have used standard deviation to help me analyse the data, it is an extension to what I already know about in the fields of statistical analysis in geography. This fact about the dispersion of the data is also evident from the rankings of the shop categories. The percentage of ‘Comparison’, ‘Convenience’ and ‘Other’ shops has fallen by 5%, 6% and 3% in the last 20 years, whereas the ‘Services’ and ‘Entertainment’ sectors has seen increases of 12% and 1% respectively. The changes that have taken place are that the ‘Services’ sector has moved up to 2nd place while the ‘Convenience’ and ‘other’ shops have moved down to 3rd and 4th place, in the table of rankings.
Questionnaire:-
The results for the questionnaire were obtained following the method stated in the Methodology. The results that I collected are shown below (see Fig 10). I combined my results with the class results so that an overall picture can be seen of the area; also increasing the amount of people questioned (relative frequency), would increase the accuracy of the overall trend in results, as any abnormal responses would be evident and can be considered; this is another good reason for collating the group results. The collated results are shown after my own results (see Fig 11). I did not construct any graphs for my results as they would not prove anything due to the small number of people questioned. Instead I constructed graphs for the collated results (see Figures 12–21), as a more accurate conclusion can be made from comparing 84 peoples responses over 9 peoples, as was explained earlier.
Fig 10: - Results that I got for the questionnaire (from 9 people)
Individual questionnaire on Portobello Road.
Graphs for collated class results (for 84 people questioned)
Although 84 people were questioned altogether as shown in the table for the class results, some questions had more, or fewer responses than the number of people questioned; this is not a mistake and is due to the fact that some people had more than one opinion for a couple of the questions. The number of responses is less in some of the questions such as in question 4 as the people could not answer this question if they answered ‘no’ to question 3, as explained in the Methodology.
Photos
Fig 22: Portobello Road (Notting Hill area) today.
Fig 23: Notting Hill in the Sixties
Fig 24: Portobello Road, off Lancaster Road.
Fig 25: Tavistock Road
Fig 26: Street market in Portobello Road
Field sketch
When I went to Portobello Road I drew a sketch of a typical house in the area as a part of my field sketch. The house I drew, shown on the following page (see Fig 27), was located in Lancaster Road. I have detailed some key features of the house which I noticed, such as the appearance, general layout, size etc. As can be seen from this sketch, the houses in this area are well presented and sizeable. The grand columns on the house hint that the properties in the area belong to people of a high social status. Another noticeable thing was that the area surrounding Portobello, including Lancaster Road (the location of this house), was well presented.
Conclusion:-
To analyse the results in a bit more detail and to help come to a conclusion I will refer to the ‘key questions’ in the hypothesis.
What was Portobello Road like in the past?
Portobello Road did not have a pleasant past. Back in the Sixties, about 40 years ago, it was dilapidated and very run-down. Immigrants were the main residents in slums; refer to Figure 23 for an example of the poor living conditions in the area at the time. In it you can see broken windows, children playing amongst rubbish, cracks in buildings, and overall a very poor quality environment in comparison to today.
What is Portobello Road like today?
Today Portobello Road is one of the trendiest places to live in London. Gentrification has taken place over the last 40 years. This has led to the eventual rise in house prices on the road and around the immediate area. At its best, it is a place of extraordinary vitality and a source of both enjoyment and fascination to its many users. This is more than can be said of the typical, sterile High Street. Portobello has a rich character, long in evolution, which provides a unique source of appeal to local shoppers, day-trippers and foreign visitors alike. This is a rare asset which cannot be artificially recreated. This depth of personality, which makes Portobello so appealing, is difficult to define. The street market is a major component; when the market stalls are packed away, much of Portobello’s vitality goes with them (see figures 24 & 26). But Portobello is much more than just a street market. It also offers an unusually wide range of small, independent shops. Marks and Spencer and Burtons have long gone. Most of the other big High Street names have never been there. But the retailers who are on Portobello offer a splendid array of goods and services which complement the market very well. There is plenty which is bizarre, to interest the day-tripper and the tourist, but also a large supermarket and a fine selection of small food shops for the local customer.
Portobello is not just about shopping. It is a residential area too. Several major housing estates sit next to Portobello Road; there are some attractive residential mews adjoining, and the street is surrounded by a densely-packed, enormously varied set of communities. There is no shortage of pubs and restaurants, so Portobello also serves as an entertainment area. It is also home to the famous electric cinema which is currently closed for renovation. A number of cafes, offices and light industrial users are situated close to the street, particularly under the Westway. Finally, there are the schools and other major educational institutions to bear in mind. The bi-lingual Spanish school, for example, makes a further contribution to the lively, cosmopolitan atmosphere of the street. Portobello offers shopping, leisure and entertainment in a human-scale environment. Unusually for a busy London shopping centre, there is little through traffic. Public transport connections are good, with three tube stations within walking distance of the street. The road line predates the surrounding urban area, curving gently downhill as it snakes northwards.
Original Victorian terraces remain along most of the length of the street. Most remain as single shop units, their independence often affirmed by the colour scheme of the facade, as well as by the shop signage. Even the few larger buildings tend to have a narrow frontage onto Portobello Road, remaining in tune with the small scale and intimate character of the place. Neither are there any large expanses of tarmac, such as car parks, to fragment the enclosed feel of the street. Space is at a premium and every last inch is used to advantage, particularly on the busiest market days.
In short, Portobello has many strong features which contribute to its unique character. Its distinctive feel owes something not only to the buildings and street-scape, but also to the three sections of the market, the wide range of shops and the variety of communities and individuals who choose to use the place. It is to this mix of features that Portobello owes its international reputation and its commercial success to.
What changes have occurred?
The land use classification for Portobello in 1982 and today (2002), (see figures 6 & 7), show that immense changes have taken place in the land use of the area. As figures 8 & 9 show, the number of antique shops in Portobello has fallen by 5% in the last 20 years. Although this has happened it still remains at the top of the table for land use. The ‘top 5 land use’ tables also show that clothes has fallen in rankings over the last 20 years along with ‘empty/derelict’, ‘hardware/DIY’ and ‘butcher’. Another major change that I noticed was that ‘cafes’ has come out from not even being in the table in 1982 to becoming 2nd place in 2002, with a dramatic increase of 10% in its numbers, in the last 20 years. Another thing that is evident is that there are more shops today than there were 20 years ago, i.e. there are less empty/derelict properties and there are more shop divisions (shops split into two). Also, as is evident from the total percentages of the top 5 land uses (see figures 8 & 9), it is possible to say that there is a greater dispersion of the land uses today than there was in 1982. This is also supported by the land use rankings in the same figures. As explained earlier, they show that there is a greater variation of shops within the different shop categories between the two time periods, i.e. there is less dispersion in the total number of shops in each shopping sector; this is why there is a smaller range in the percentages of the rankings today, than in 1982. This would also mean that the standard deviation of the total number of shops in the different shopping categories is lower today than it was 20 years ago; observe the calculations below: -
Standard deviation of the total number of shops in the different shopping categories in 1982.
Standard deviation of the total number of shops in the different shopping categories in 2002.
As is evident, the standard deviation is lower today than it was 20 years ago. This statistically proves that Portobello is going through a period of change in its land use. The questionnaire and the graphs of people’s responses also prove that changes are taking place. Figure 16 shows the responses for changes taking place; the pie chart shows that about ¾ of the people questioned thought that changes had taken place. As figure 17 shows, most people in Portobello thought that the biggest changes that had taken place were that there were more chain stores than before and that the house prices had increased. This is also backed up by figure 19 in which over ¾ of the people questioned thought that house prices were too high. As figure 18 shows, the majority of the people questioned thought that the changes made ‘no difference’ to Portobello, followed by 2nd and 3rd place responses in which people answered to the changes being ‘A little better’ and ‘Getting worse’. As the results for this question are very close, and different aged people were asked, there is no right answer i.e. it is not a good question from which to make a judgement.
People who have lived in the area for 0-5 years, which made up the majority of the residents questioned would not know what changes have taken place as they have not lived there long enough to have noticed any change; results from residents who have lived in the area for over 10 years would be more accurate as they would have been around when the changes were taking place. When asked what they thought should be done in the future, the majority responded in saying that there should be ‘cheaper housing’ and ‘more rubbish collections’. The responses for question 8, which asked which sort of stores they prefer to shop in (see figure 21), show that most people chose to shop in the ‘local market’ or in ‘both’ the shop types. This shows that the people preferred to shop in the local market more than in chain stores; however about a third of the people chose that they preferred to shop in both stores, which suggests that chain stores were quite popular too.
Why is Portobello road changing?
One of the main reasons is that it has had a lot of publicity due to a film that they have made there. Another reason is that social reform has led to development in the area. This along with its close proximity to the city has made it a desirable place for middle class to live in; gentrification which had also taken place has raised the status of the area. Gentrification is when people of a higher social class move into a poorer area over time and raise the status of that particular area. In this process, windows etc. of the houses in the Portobello area have been greatly improved – most of the houses have been upgraded to modern standards. The increasing popularity of the area and the high demand raised the house prices; the road has transformed from being slums for immigrants to being an up-market area for the middle class.
What do people think about these changes?
This depends on who you ask; some think that these changes are better as they find the area more trendy and up-market etc. Others think that they are worse as more chain stores, for example, makes the area lose its vibrant localised atmosphere. These changes have also brought about a litter problem, which I noticed a lot of people complaining about when I carried out my questionnaire.
The increase in house prices mean that ordinary working class people can’t afford to live there any more so naturally they would dislike some of these changes. Some people think that these changes have made no difference; these were mainly the people who have been living in the area for less than 5 years, as they haven’t lived there long enough to notice any significant changes.
Is Portobello road being overrun by chain stores?
Portobello road is being overrun by chain stores as they (the chain store owners) see it as a perfect location in which to make a profit. Increasing tourism has attracted the chain stores to the area. The high house and rent prices mean that it is no problem for them to bring stores to the area, as they wouldn’t find the costs too high, as they are big well established companies. An example of such a chain is ‘Starbucks’ – a coffee shop chain. The coming of these types of stores would drive the independent stores out of business due to the influx of people turning away from them and going to the chain stores, due to its cheaper costs etc.
Another chain store would then be replaced in its place. This is what seems to have happened over the last couple of decades; it is this what has led to the area being gradually overrun with chain stores. This is good for the companies but bad for the area. If this carries on, the local atmosphere of the area would eventually disappear as the small stores would move elsewhere taking the roads splendour with them. The road would become another ‘normal’ road; litter would increase as more people would use the roads cafes and restaurants. This may lead to the residents moving elsewhere.
Are the changes occurring along Portobello road changing its character?
The changes are altering Portobello’s character as more chain stores mean that the character of the road is being taken away as the local stores are moving out. The area is being literally flooded with chain stores, as was explained earlier. The local stores on the other hand are being driven out due to increasing house prices – they can’t afford to own shops in the area for the little gain that they make. The coming of chain stores is resulting in the loss of the vibrant atmosphere that attracts most people to the area. In the long run, if chain stores continue to overtake the local stores, tourism and business in the area would really suffer, as the area would be classified by most to be no different to the average High Street; as a result of this people will stop coming to the area.
Are there any conflicts involved in these changes?
There are conflicts between the local shop owners and the chain stores, between the old residents and the new ones, and between the market stall owners and the supermarkets.
There is fierce competition between the local shop owners and the chain stores. The local stores are struggling to survive as people coming to the area prefer to shop in chain stores as they usually have higher standards and cheaper costs. As a result of this many local stores are being forced to close.
Conflicts between old residents and new ones are also quite fierce too. Changes that are made by the council, which are approved by the new residents are usually disapproved by the old residents and vice-versa. As a result of this tension it is difficult for the council to make changes.
What do you think will happen in the future, to Portobello road?
As explained earlier I think that people will move out of the area due to increasing numbers of chain stores. I also think that people will stop going there as there would be nothing different or special there; it would be classified as another ordinary high street. As a result of this I believe that property prices in the area will fall. In the long term I think that initially the popularity of the area will gradually fall, followed by a de-gentrification of the area. After this the area will probably become deprived like it was in the past. Basically I think the area will follow a cyclic pattern and will evolve from being an up-market to a deprived area and vice-versa, if the plans continue as they are.
What do you recommend should happen to Portobello road?
The council should restrict the amount of chain stores it allows to be on the road, to stop the area from losing its traditional up-market atmosphere, and to continue to attract many visitors. House prices should not be changed so as not to attract disruptive people to the area, and so to keep the middle class community living there. This would make sure that the area does not become deprived again as was explained earlier by my theory of cyclic pattern.
The actual council plans for the area over the next 10 years are given below: -
- A new school building for Holland Park and further progress toward a new secondary school in the south of the Borough.
- Up to a thousand extra tonnes of waste recycled each year.
- Fast track evictions for anti-social tenants and an aggressive rapid response to crack houses in council property.
- Better exam results at all levels and
- Cuts in reported crime.
These plans are fairly good but more needs to be done to retain the atmosphere of the area, in the long-term. In addition to this I would recommend the following:
- Regulate the amount of chain stores in the area.
- Help struggling independent shops with special funds and privileges to keep them open.
- More litter collections.
- More care taken on the character and appearance of the buildings in the area. Derelict buildings should be made presentable so that they fit in with the surroundings; the appearance of privately owned property should also be maintained so as to ensure that they don’t affect the character of the area – e.g. stricter regulations should be enforced regarding property extensions and other building works.
- Help the less well off people in the area i.e. the beggars; get them off the streets and help them to start a new life.
These changes will ensure that the area doesn’t de-gentrify and become run down. Not only will these changes will also ensure that the future of the area is more stable than it is right now, but it will also help the vitally of the area improve too.
Evaluation:-
I think that my work was good in that my hypothesis was proven; I managed to obtain fairly good results for the questionnaire which helped as evidence in my conclusion. I could have asked better questions so that my results would have been more accurate and worthwhile. The questions that I asked were dependent on other factors; for example the peoples’ thought on whether Portobello Road had changed was dependent on the time they had lived there or on whether they had been there before. Factors such as these should have been taken into consideration. I should have also carried out a pilot survey to make sure that all the questions would work properly for all the people questioned.
My hypothesis was relevant as change had taken place in such a short period of time which is abnormal for any road. If the changes had taken place over a long period of time my hypothesis would be irrelevant as change would be expected over lengthy periods of time. I think that I had sufficient data to prove the hypothesis as all the data that I had suggested that Portobello road was changing. To further extend this study I could do the field work for the whole stretch of Portobello so that I can analyse the change in the whole road and not just in the shopping district; or I could extend my investigation to another major road in the borough so that I could make comparisons between the changes that have taken place there and in Portobello during the same time period. To extend my investigation in terms of data analysis I could carry out more statistical calculations which in turn can be represented in graphical form.